Self-tensioning stud brace



Aug. 15, 1967 E. F. TUTVTLE 3,335,93

' SELF-TENSIONING STUD BRACE Filed May 10, 1966 INVENTOR.

EUENEF 72/7725 BY 1 I United States Patent 3,335,993 SELF-TENSIONINGSTUD BRACE Eugene F. Tuttle, 5108 Bluebell, North Hollywood, Calif.91607 Filed May 10, 1966, Ser. No. 549,024 7 Claims. (Cl. 248351) Thisinvention relates to the bracing of wall studs of building frameconstruction and has as its general object to provide an improvedself-tensioning stud brace of metal strap material providing theadvantages of reduced cost and greatly increased speed of application ascompared to the common practice of sawing from 2 x 4 lumber a series ofbraces having parallel-mitered ends and then nailing these bracesbetween the studs.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a strap typestud brace which, as it is nailed between spaced studs, will beautomatically stretched and tensioned so as to establish a firm tyingconnection between the studs to which it is nailed. Additional objectsare to provide stud bracing means:

(1) Utilizing thin strap metal adapted to be nailed diagonally betweenspaced studs and against the co-planar narrow faces of the studs;

(2) Particularly adapted for use in the form of relatively shortindividual braces each adapted to span between two adjacent studs;

(3) Including integral means for positioning an end of each braceinitially spaced away from the face of the stud to which it is to benailed and for locating a fastener nail in a canted position such as toapply tension to the brace as the end thereof is drawn against the stud;

(4) Having at one or both ends thereof, integral fulcrum struts havingends spaced from the body of the brace so as to provide the aforesaidinitial outward spacing, and adapted to establish non-slippingengagement with the stud so as to function as a tilting tensioning strutas the brace is nailed against the stud.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuingspecification and the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of the framing of a buildingwall, illustrating the application of the brace of my invention thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of one of the bracesin an initial stage of attachment to a pair of spaced studs;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the brace and a horizontal sectional view ofthe stud to which it is being attached;

FIG. 4 is an inward face view of one end portion of the brace;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a modified formof the brace;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of an installation of anothermodified form of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the same, takenon line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGS. 1 and6, I have shown therein how the invention may be applied to the bracingof a building wall frame comprising vertical studs 10, a header plate 11and a floor plate 12, among other parts; and have shown as an example ofone form in which the invention may be embodied, a series of braces B ofunit length each adapted to bridge between a single pair of adjacentstuds in a diagonal position as shown.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the brace of my invention comprises a bodystrap 15 having at one or both ends thereof, an integral fulcrumstrut 16joined thereto by a bend 17 and subtending therewith an acute dihedralangle such that the respective struts 16 converge toward the center ofthe body strap 15.

3,335,993 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 Each of the fulcrum struts 16 has atits end a row of pointed fulcrum teeth 18 adapted to become embedded ina respective part of frame A 50 as to provide a nonslipping fulcrumingconnection with the wall stud. The teeth are preferably bent at anobtuse angle to the respective strut 16 so as to be directedtransversely to the face of the frame in the position shown in FIG. 2.

Each fulcrum strut 16 and the opposed portion of body strap 15 areprovided with respective nailing apertures 21, 22, 41 and 42 throughwhich securing nails 23, 123 can be passed. The apertures 21 and 22 areof larger diameter than the nail 23, sufficiently so that the nail 23can be easily inserted through the apertures, but are sufficiently smallso that they will provide a means to position the nail 23 at a selectedangle to the face 24 of the part of frame A to which the respective endof the brace B is to be secured. The aperture 22 is positioned fartherfrom the end of the strap than the aperture 21, as measured along thebody strap 15 from the bend 17, and thus the nail 23 when insertedthrough the apertures 21, 22, is disposed in a position canted withreference to the stud face 24 along an axis subtending an obtuse angleto the central portion of body strap 15, and thereby canted away fromthe center of the brace toward the frame A. Accordingly, as the nail 23is driven home, when it engages the body strap 15 of the brace itcommences to exert a pull against the respective end of the bracetending to draw it away from the opposite end and thus placing the bodystrap 15 under tension, provided that the opposite end of the brace isanchored against yielding in the direction of the pull thus applied. Thefulcrum strut 16 cooperates in the application of tension to the brace,in that the anchor teeth 18 will indent the face 24 of frame Aincreasingly as pressure is applied to the fulcrum strut 16 through thebend 17 and the nail 23 commences to collapse the body strap 15 againstthe strut 16. When the collapsing movement has progressed to the pointwhere the body strap 15 makes contact with the strut 16, such pressurewill be greatly intensified and the teeth 18 will be driven into theframe A and finally embedded therein as shown in FIG. 7. With thefulcrum end of the strut 16 engaged fixedly against the frame A, thecollapsing movement will involve a drawing movement of the bend 17diagonally toward the stud as indicated approximately by the arrow 25,in a direction generally parallel to the axis of nail 23, so that thetwo tensioning forces (the pull of the nail and the levering action ofthe tilting fulcrum strut 16) will act cooperatively to apply tension tothe body strap 15. As the bend 19 is drawn toward the frame face 24, itwill be closed to a tight fold 171 as shown in FIG. 7, and the strut 16will be collapsed against the inner face of body strap 15. When the bend171 engages the frame A, it is anchored by a second nail 123 driventhrough apertures 41 and 42, normal to the frame face 24, as shown inFIG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, fulcrum strut 16 and the nail positioning apertures21 and 22 may be provided at both ends of the brace B.

However, for many installations, a preferred form of the invention isthat shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein only one end of the brace isprovided with a strut 16, and wherein the other end is plain andstraight, as shown in FIG. 5, with one or more nail apertures 31therein. Where a short brace is required, the plain end can be bentaround the edge of a frame part (e.g. stud 10) as at in FIG. 7, andnailed to the side of the stud as shown, thus disposing of excess lengthof the brace for the shortened span. For example, if a series of braceshave been nailed diagonally across a section of wall frame, beginning asin FIG. 1 and ending as in FIG. 6, the last brace of the series may berequired to span a lesser distance than the other braces, as in FIG. 6.The

bendable plain end of the brace can be bent around the side of a steelor other frame part, so as to utilize only a portion of the length ofthe brace in spanning the shortened distance. If the excess portion thatis bent around the side of the stud is of such extent as to project thenail hole 31 beyond a point where it can be used for nailing, a nail canbe driven through any selected point along the length of strap 15,piercing the strap before entering the frame A.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it may be noted that each of the braces B isattached between respective pairs of adjacent studs 10 with one endattached to one stud and an opposite end attached to an adjacent stud.By arranging the braces B diagonally in approximate alignment as shownin FIG. 1, the composite effect of the series of braces is substantiallyequivalent to that of a single brace extending diagonally and nailed toeach of the studs 10 which it crosses.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention wherein a strut 116has a single nail hole 21, and the opposed portion of strap 15, a singlenail hole 22, the holes being located sufficiently close to bend 17 sothat nail 23 may function not only for tensioning the brace whilecollapsing the bend 17, but also to anchor the collapsed end of thebrace to the frame A.

The strap metal of the braces B can be sumciently thin and soft to bepierceable by a nail. The material is a relatively soft metal, readilybendable so that the bends 17 can be folded into tight bends asindicated at 171 in FIG. 5.

I claim:

1. A building wall frame brace of metal strap material comprising a bodystrap and a fulcrum strut joined to at least one end thereof by anintegral bend, said fulcrum strut subtending an acute angle to anopposed portion of said body strap and having a free end adapted toestablish fixed fulcruming engagement with a wall frame, said strut andsaid opposed portion of the body strap having respective nail aperturesaligned with one another on an axis that is canted away from the centerof the brace toward the stud surface engaged by the end of said strut,whereby to position a securing nail in said canted relation such thatthe driving of the nail home into the frame, with the end of said strutfulcrumed against the frame, will exert a tensioning pull against saidbody strap tending to draw the respective end of the brace away from itsopposite end.

2. A stud brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said fulcrum strut has afree end provided with means to indent said wall frame so as toestablish a fixed fulcruming connection between the strut and the frame,whereby as the securing nail is driven home said strut will be flattenedbeneath said body strap and thereby tilted so as to cause the end ofsaid body strap to swing diagonally away from the opposite end of thebrace in a direction approximately parallel to the nail axis so as tocooperate with the nail in effecting said tensioning operation.

3. A stud as defined in claim 2, wherein said frame indenting meanscomprises a plurality of pointed teeth extending transversely along thefree end of said strut.

4. A brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said strut and opposed portionof the body strap are provided with a second set of opposed nailapertures, adjacent to said bend, through which a second nail can bedriven into the frame to anchor said bend securely to the frame.

5. A stud brace as defined in claim 1, wherein both ends of said braceare provided with said fulcrum strut and with said nailing apertures,arranged on respective axes which diverge in the direction extendingfrom said body strap toward the frame surface engaged by said struts.

6. A stud brace as defined in claim 1, wherein only one end of saidbrace is provided with said fulcrum strut, the opposite end of the bracebeing a plain, unbent end provided with a nailing aperture for anchoringsaid plain end to the frame prior to anchoring the opposite end of thebrace to the frame with a tensioning effect.

7. A brace as defined in claim 1, of relatively thin, soft strap metal,pierceable by a nail and easily bent around an edge and against a sideface of a stud when longer than required to span the distance betweenthe frame parts to which it is to be secured.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,609,784 12/1926 Springab 526732,121,302 6/1938 Robertson 248-351 XR 2,699,315 1/1955 Appleton 248--57XR 2,963,127 12/1960 Manville 52-693 2,964,807 12/1960 Kennedy 52-696JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.5,335,993" August 15 1967 Eugene F. Tuttle It is certified that errorappears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 32, "frame brace" should read stud brace Column 4 line 11"stud" should read stud brace Signed and sealed this 5th day of August1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

1. A BUILDING WALL FRAME BRACE OF METAL STRAP MATERIAL COMPRISING A BODYSTRAP AND A FULCRUM STRUT JOINED TO AT LEAST ONE END THEREOF BY ANINTEGRAL BEND, SAID FULCRUM STRUT SUBTENDING AN ACUTE ANGLE TO ANOPPOSED PORTION OF SAID BODY STRAP AND HAVING A FREE END ADAPTED TOESTABLISH FIXED FULCRUMING ENGAGEMENT WITH A WALL FRAME, SAID STRUT ANDSAID OPPOSED PORTION OF THE BODY STRAP HAVING RESPECTIVE NAIL APERTURESALIGNED WITH ONE ANOTHER ON AN AXIS THAT IS CANTED AWAY FROM THE CENTEROF THE BRACE TOWWARD THE STUD SURFACE ENGAGED BY THE END OF SAID STRUT,WHEREBY TO POSITION A SECURING NAIL IN SAID CANTED RELATION SUCH THATTHE DRIVING OF THE NAIL IN HOME INTO THE FRAME, WITH THE END OF SAIDSTRUT FULCRUMED AGAINST THE FRAME, WILL EXERT A TENSIONING PULL AGAINSTSAID BODY STRAP TENDING TO DRAW THE RESPECTIVE END OF THE BRACE AWAYFROM ITS OPPOSITE END.